


Flowers

by gay-theprayaway (otomemiyakatsumi331)



Series: Ereminkasa ficlets [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Happy, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Shiganshina Trio, ereminkasa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 08:18:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4130833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otomemiyakatsumi331/pseuds/gay-theprayaway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What?” Mikasa asked, noticing the slight shaking of Armin’s shoulders.<br/>“It’s just… you’re the genius at everything, but you can’t make a flower crown.”<br/>Mikasa is cute, and Armin is lovestruck, and Eren is asleep the whole time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before Chapter 67 came out, so I was using creative license on what happened afterward.

Armin lifted his face to the gentle breeze that was rippling the waves of grass that surrounded the isolated cottage. He and Mikasa had been shooed outside by a highly irritable Levi who insisted that Eren needed a break from them “clinging to the brat”, as the short captain so kindly put it. He glanced at the girl standing next to him, appearing a picture of calm, but Armin could sense the tension radiating from her like a trapped animal. Her muscles were taut as she stood, staring blankly into space. Armin knew that she would refuse to rest until the rest of Eren’s limbs had fully regenerated. Hanji had assured them both that the limbs would come, and postulated that they were growing slowly because of Eren’s pure exhaustion. But Mikasa had still glared at them with narrowed eyes, refusing to believe in the proof of Eren’s wholeness until she saw the evidence herself.  


Armin wondered what to say to her, drawing a blank as always. He found that he could rarely find the words to comfort Mikasa, not the way he could with Eren, at least. Instead, he leaned down to pick a handful of wildflowers from the grassy plain where they stood. Deftly, his fingers wove the stems together in a loose circle, drawing on long past memories of playing with Eren and Mikasa in the fields of Wall Maria. Shyly, he placed the crown on her head and she jolted from her extreme focus, eyes curious. “Armin?”  


“I thought the flowers were pretty. They reminded me of when we used to play as kids.”  


Her stance relaxed as she touched the crown gently. Mikasa knelt, picking up flowers of her own and attempting to weave them together, fingers fumbling among the stems. Armin knelt beside her and guided her fingers, suppressing a small laugh.  


“What?” Mikasa asked, noticing the slight shaking of Armin’s shoulders.  


“It’s just… you’re the genius at everything, but you can’t make a flower crown,” Armin giggled, unable to control his laughter now. Mikasa glowered, shoving the stems together, grumbling, “It’s not that funny.” Armin smiled more gently, helping her to tie off the end of the crown. She placed it on his head with a rare smile, and Armin glowed, glad that he’d been able to cheer her up.  


“We should make some for Eren!” he suggested cheerfully, plucking more stems around them.  


“Yeah,” Mikasa agreed quietly, drawing the edge of her scarf up to the corner of her mouth. Armin continued picking the flowers, but quietly said, “I think I might understand what you’re feeling, Mikasa.”  


Her gray eyes found his face.  


“I’ve known Eren for a long time. For most of my life, he was the only friend I had, and the only one who dared to stand up against the ones who bullied me. And I’m pretty sure that he’s a lot of the reason I ended up joining the Corps. He was right when he said that I would do well in the Garrison, but I didn’t want to be parted from him.”  


“Armin,” Mikasa began, with a hint of warning in her voice.  


“I know you love him Mikasa, and I do too. I really do. I love you both more than anything in the world. And I don’t think I could bear to be parted from either of you. I’ve learned that time and time again when I thought… when we thought we lost Eren. I know that it’s you and Eren who have the deeper connection. I understand that, and I’ve accepted that I’ll probably never be close to the two of you in the way that you are to each other…” Armin picked at the stem of a daisy between his fingers, unable to stop the flood of words that were now flowing after being held back so long unspoken. “Anyone can see that as clear as day. But all I want is to be able to be by your sides. Even if I can’t be with you in the way I may want, that’s okay. Because it’s more than worth it just to be with you two, in any way I can. I don’t want you to push me away.”

Armin continued to gaze at his trembling hands, unwilling to face Mikasa’s angry eyes. He gasped, as he felt her arms close around his shoulders, expecting a blow to fall. But she just held him close, breathing softly.

“Mikasa?” he tentatively ventured.

“We won’t push you away Armin. I made a promise to myself that I would protect Eren, and it’s always been thanks to your help that I’ve been able to. I trust in you.”

Armin’s lip trembled, and he buried his face in her shoulder, embracing her in return.

“We still can’t say anything to Eren,” Mikasa said sadly as they broke the embrace. 

“I know. He has more important things to worry about,” Armin agreed. “But we can still try our best to keep him safe.”

“Mm,” Mikasa agreed, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Armin, both of them basking in the silent tranquility of the natural scene before them. The grassy field turned golden as the sun sank toward the western horizon, and they sat appreciating each other’s presence.

“Maybe Captain Levi will let us see Eren again,” Armin finally broke the silence, and Mikasa stirred.

“He’d better,” Mikasa said, a touch of annoyance coloring her tone. “Should we bring these to him?”

“We should,” Armin agreed, scooping up the handful of flowers. Mikasa place her hand on his back as he stood, the gentleness of her touch surprising him as always. Mikasa surreptitiously slipped her hand into Armin’s as they walked back to the cottage, and Armin was 10 years old again. He had no cares about a life that was about to crumble around him, only dreams of a magical journey to the outside world and the immediacy of enjoying the sunshine with his friends.

He clung harder to Mikasa’s hand, cherishing the last dregs of memory slipping away before they stepped through the door. Mikasa let go, and Armin's thoughts, like a falling star, came hurtling back to reality. A secret smile from Mikasa reminded him that that sunny spot in his heart was still there, and he smiled back as he thought of Eren’s green eyes opening to see their faces.


End file.
